Boonlua Chatree

The new commander of the Tourist Police Division in Pattaya laid out seven policies to officers under command.

Pol. Maj. Piyapong Ansan took over the top spot earlier this month, moving to Pattaya from Nakhon Ratchasima. He succeeds Pol. Lt. Col. Arun Promphan, who was transferred to the Human Trafficking Suppression Department in Bangkok.

Immigration police arrested two Indian men trying their hand as fortune tellers on Jomtien Beach.

Gurpreet Singh, 19, and a 47-year-old identified only as “Hukam” were apprehended on Jomtien Soi 5 Feb. 16 after officers noticed them charging a fee to tourists to do handwriting examinations as a way to tell fortunes.

While both possessed valid passports, neither had a work permit, police said.

The two were charged with illegally working in the kingdom and were taken for processing and likely deportation.

Hukam (left) and Gurpreet Singh (right) were arrested for working without a permit for allegedly charging tourists to read their fortunes.

Two women who allegedly drugged and robbed a series of older foreign tourists in Pattaya were arrested after complaints from their latest three victims.

Netsai Panyakham, 40, and her cousin Manee Panyakham, 40, confessed to a string of assaults at a police press conference Feb. 18. Three Frenchmen who said they were victims pointed to the women who allegedly stole a total 140,000 baht from them.

A well-known area street figure was killed in a drive-by shooting in North Pattaya.

Watchara “Tee Takientia” Keawsuwan, 33, was shot eight times in the chest, arms and leg by 9mm bullets sprayed by two men out the window of a Toyota Yaris Feb. 19 outside the Amulet Club on Naklua Road. He died en route to Samitivej Sriracha Hospital.

Joke Naklua, 35, owner of Amulet Club and a friend of Watchara, said the victim had been drinking with several friends outside when the Toyota pulled up.

Mother Namtan Tabkhan, 53, and sister Sirinporn Kawsuwan, 36, said they were shocked by the killing of Watchara, who once himself had been arrested on murder charges that were later dismissed.

Sirinporn said she did not know why her brother was shot as but guessed it was because her brother had a lot of friends and maybe got into fights.

A Pakistani family of alleged grifters was arrested, accused of tricking an Indonesian tourist out of his cash.

Tourism Division officers raided a room at the P.K. Resort on Jomtien Beach Soi 12 Feb. 17, apprehending Adil Hueeani, 38, his wife Surayya, 41, and three teen children. Officers took from them four mobile phones, a notebook computer and some U.S. currency.

Authorities raided a Pattaya massage parlor that allegedly was trafficking Thai masseuses to South Korea.

Pattaya police and representatives from the Chonburi Employment Office set up the Feb. 13 sting operation that snared Chalida Thai Massage.

Authorities said Chalida was charging a 14,000 baht service charge and 3,500 baht for a training course to find Thai women to work in South Korea. Employment Office staffer Saranya Kaewboonruan went undercover to determine the fees and called in officers once money was exchanged.